Anyone who knows me, even a little bit, knows I like to win. Honestly, I don’t know anyone who likes to lose. But for me, I don’t know what is greater my love for winning or my hatred for losing.

“Winning is not a sometime thing, it is an all time thing. You don’t win once in a while, you don’t do things right once in a while, you do them right all the time. Winning is a habit, unfortunately so is losing.” Vince Lombardi coach of the Green Bay Packers

“It is not the will to win but the will to prepare to win that matters”  Bear Bryant, coach of the University of Alabama

Two legendary coaches who liked to win – or just hated to lose. However, both of these coaches understood that winning is not always about the final score – it is about the journey – it is about what you do after the final score or in getting to the final score.

Sometimes we have to learn how to define a win.

I coached girls softball while my daughters were playing. Every year we had all different levels of ability. We had girls that were natural athletes – you could push them, challenge them, help them find and exceed their limits. These girls played to win and hated to lose.
But not every girl was like that. There was “E”.  E played because…well I am not sure why E played. E was scared of the ball. Wherever you put E in the field, when the ball was hit she went in the opposite direction. And when it was her turn at the plate, E would never swing the bat. She either walked or struck out.
E also never missed a practice. I worked with her all year, every practice. In practice she would swing the bat and sometimes she would hit the ball. But once she was in the game – walk or strike out – the bat never moved. I started bribing her just to swing the bat – nothing. I didn’t care if she hit the ball or not, I just wanted her to swing. And then near the end of the season (Hollywood would make it the last game with the tying run on second and 2 outs but I don’t really remember the exact circumstances) E came to the plate and she swung the bat…and she hit the ball. You would have thought that she had just hit the tying run in because her teammates were yelling and cheering, the crowd was yelling and cheering. I think she got a hit but honestly I don’t remember. I don’t remember the final score of the game either. Because that day – the score didn’t matter – E won. That day for E, winning was defined as simply swinging the bat.

Paul helps us define a win in Ephesians 4:13, “Until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.”
The goal for every believer is spiritual maturity and a win is anything that moves us closer to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Maybe it is beginning to read your Bible regularly? Maybe it is developing a prayer time?  Maybe it is leading a small group (find your limits and stretch them)?  Maybe it is sharing your faith with your neighbor? Maybe it is getting back to church on a regular basis?

When it comes to your life, your spiritual life, are you winning? Are you taking a swing, giving it a try? Are you challenging yourself, stretching your faith? Sometimes we strike out, sometimes we get a hit. And the more we practice, the more we take our swings, we will experience growth, maturity. 

“No longer infants…instead we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is Christ”

Growing up in Christ, spiritual maturity – and sometimes just swinging the bat is a win! Where do you need to starting swinging?

Hey, you’re on deck – Swing Away!